Improvement in metal-rolling



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. KLOMAN.

METAL ROLLING. No.188,741. Patented March 27,1877.

'2. 1% W" lllll N-FH'ERS. FHOTO-LI'THOGRAPHER. WASHlNGYON. D 0.

2 SheetsSheet 2. A. KLOMAN.

METAL ROLLING. No.188,741. Patented March 27,1877.

N-PEYZRs- FHOTO-LITKOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D O

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE ANDREW KLOMAN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT m METAL-ROLLING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 188,74] dated March 27,1877 application filed February 5, 1877.

letters indicating like 'parts- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a perspective viewof my improved metal-rolling machine. Fig. 2 shows the product thereof.Fig. 3 illustrates the manner of finishing such product for use. Fig. 4,Sheet 2, is a longitudinal vertical sectional view through the plane ofthe axes of the horizontal rolls, but showing the rolls and hydrauliccylinder'inelevation. Fig.5 is a horizontal section through or along theline a; w of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section throughone of the toggle-joints bymeans of which the lower roll is raised andlowered.

In the manufacture of bridge-links and othor articles 0' like kind, inwhich an enlarged body of materialis desired in some one part, so as toprovide for a reduction in such part by punching, thread-cutting, orotherwise, for purposes of eifecting a connection with. some other partof a structure, various practical difliculties have been encountered inmaking, such enlargement. Plating has been tried; but, considering theplated part as a head, the bar or plate is weakened at the base of thehead by the deflection or break of its fiber in. welding on the sideplate or plates. Upsetting has been largely resorted to but, on ve ylarge or heavy work, it has been found that the distortion of the fibercaused by the upsetting operation sometimes so weakens the material orlessens its tensile strength that its use is objectionable.

To meet the requirements of this classof work I have invented what Ibelieve to be an improvement in the art of rolling metals, as well as animprovement in apparatus therefor.

The machinery shown in the drawing is of the pattern or class generallyknown as a universal mi1l,? having two horizontal rolls,

A A, and two pairs of vertical rolls, B B B B, all mounted in suitablehousings A A and driven by the usual or any desired line of gearing, asillustrated more particularly in Fig. 1. The cross-bars A of thehousings are slotted, as shown, so that the bearings a of the verticalrolls may play therein by tongues and grooves, or equivalent means, andadjusting-screws b, connected with these hearings, are employed to setthe vertical rolls toward or from each other. These vertical rolls havethe usual bevel-pinions, as shown, operated by the usual counter-pinionson the drivingshafts. These counter-pinions are attached directly toadjustable movable sleeves N, which have a groove-and-feather connectionwith their shafts, and to which the same longitudinal motion is given asto the vertical rolls by means of the fork and strap b which isconnected with the moving bearings a below. The other parts of the mill,except as hereinafter described, are such as are already known in theart.

One part of my invention relates to the manufacture of link-bar blanks,such as are shown in Fig. 2, by rolling them with a body part, D, of thedesired size, and ends D of an enlarged size, such that, aftersubsequently forging down by rolls, hammer, or otherwise, such enlargedends, as at D, Fig. 3, and after punching or forging an eye, as thereshown, the tensile strength of the parts so operated on will not fallmaterially, if at all, below that of the body D. To this end I bring thebar, by any ordinary rolling or forging operation, to the size, or aboutthe size, in cross-section of the ends D. I then stop or arrest thefurther reduction of the ends, but continue the rolling down andreduction of the body D intermediate between the points at d by passingthe bar back and forth between the horizontal rolls A A, (employing thevertical rolls for edging purposes,) but stopping the movement of thebar whenever each point d comes to the horizontal rolls; and, byreversing the motion of the rolls, I then start the bar on its reversepass. Simultaneously with each reverse motion I lessen the distancebetween the horizontal rolls, so as, by each successive pass, to drawand reduce the body part D without lessening the size or affecting thedisposal of the metal in the ends D This work goes on until the bar hasbeen brought to the form of blank desired, having the substantialcharacteristics shown in Fig. 2.

I will now explain the mechanism by which this operation is carried on.For reversing the motion of the rolls, any devices suitable for thepurpose may be employed, such as a reversing clutch and gear; but,preferably, the engine which drives the machinery should be reversed bythe use of the ordinary link. The action should be quick, complete, andexact, and for this purpose I believe a pneumatic or hydraulic piston,with a piston-stem connection to the link, to be the best. For raisingand lowering one of the horizontal rolls, (preferably the lower one,) Iemploy a hydraulic cylinder, H, fitted with the usual plunger and withpipe-connections h h h h, for admitting and discharging hydraulic pressure to and from opposite sides of the plunger, in the usual Way. Thevalve or cocks and the connections with an accumulator I do not deem itnecessary to show, as the construction of such devices will come withinthe knowledge of those skilled in the art. This hydraulic apparatus issecurely fastened to the housings A by bolts H, or otherwise properlysecured in place. The lower horizontal roll A rests in movable bearingsa, and between these hearings and the bottom part or foundation A of thehousings, and at each end of the roll, is a toggle-joint, c c, theopposite halves of which are, by a pintle, c, hinged to each other, andboth to a follower, P, which latter is connected with the plunger of thehydraulic press H. As a hydraulic plunger and toggle-joint give thecapacity of great quickness and accuracy of motion, immense power, and ashort stroke, I believe them to be the best for the purpose, and Ibelieve it best to apply them to shifting the position of the lowerroll; but by an inverted or reverse action the same devices may beapplied to shifting, in like manner, the position of the upper roll; andin so far as relates to the operation of reducing the bar to the blankshown in Fig. 2, other suitable known means for raising or lowering oneroll at intervals or at the pleasure of the operator, may be substitutedfor those described, as the mechanical equivalent thereof.

It will now be understood that the rolls are to be reversed, and themovable roll shifted slightly toward the other whenever either point dof the bar comes to the horizontal rolls, so as thereby to give the bara reverse pass, and on such reverse pass to eifect a still furtherreduction of the body D; and it is a characteristic feature of theoperation described that the reduction described is efl'ected withoutthe bar at any time leaving the rolls. The horizontal rolls, from thebeginning to the end of the operation, never lose their bite on the bar.As soon as the body part D is brought to the proper reduced form andsize the movable roll is shifted away from the other, the blank thusmade is taken out, and each end is then worked down and punched, asrepresented at D in Fig 3, which gives a bridge-link having the desiredtensile strength across the eye, and also at the point (1, where itmerges into the body D.

The same mode of operation, by substantially the same devices, may heapplied to the manufacture of tie-rods, the ends of which are to bepunched or slotted for the insertion of a key, or threaded for thescrewing on of a nut. The reduced body and enlarged end or ends are madein the same way as above described, grooved rolls being substituted forplain faced rolls, though the latter may also be grooved, if so desired.

Another part of myimprovemeut relates to the boxing out of the uprightparts of the housings. There is a growing demand for steel for bridgeand other architectural purposes, and the rolling of heavy steelbridgelinks, girderbeams, plates, and bars involves a heavy strain onthe machinery.

In the universal mill heretofore the horizontal rolls were made as longas the greatest width of plate or bar to be passed through, plus thediameters of the two vertical rolls. The horizontal rolls are then toolong to stand heavy strains with safety. By boxing out the housings, ormaking them open on their inner adjacent faces, next to the verticalrolls, I provide for setting the vertical rolls back, and shortening thehorizontal rolls by nearly or quite twice the diameter of each verticalroll, so that the machinery is more compact, and the horizontal rollswill withstand a much greater strain. This boxing out of the housings isrepresented at R, and the size of the openings or boxes so made is suchas to per-' mit the vertical rolls to be shifted back within such boxes,so that a greater length of rollsurface in the horizontal rolls can beutilized in practical rolling than if the vertical rolls stood withinthe inner faces of the housings, as heretofore. Or, to state the samething in another way, the horizontal rolls may be shortened at each endby an' amount equal, or nearly equal, to twice the diameter of eachvertical roll, so that the working-faces of the vertical rolls alongtheir lines of bite can be brought into line with, or a little insideof, the ends of the horizontal rolls, whereby the entire length of theworking-faces of the latter may be utilized in rolling the material tobe operated on. The form of the openings or boxes It is not material,provided only the vertical rolls, with their driving-gear, be capable ofbeing shifted, wholly or nearly so, back of the inner adjacent faces ofthe housings, and thereby utilize the entire, or almost the entire,length of available working-surface in the horizontal rolls, or permitof their being to the same extent shortened; and to this end thevertical parts of the housings may be made crank-shaped, or with adouble elbow, turning outward-one at or above, and one at or below, theends of the vertical rolls. The

blanks herein described, and shown in Fig. 2, constitute articles ofmanufacture and sale. As the business is now carried on in some portionsof the country, they are made by the iron-roller and sold to thebridge-builder.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. The method of rolling malleablemetals to varying sizes in cross-section by reversing the motion of therolls while the bar is still engaged by them, or is still within theirbite, and simultaneously forcing the biting rolls into closer proximity,substantially in the manner set forth.

2. The rolled bridge-link blank D D substantially as described withreference to Fig. 2.

3. In combination with a pair of metal rolls, A A, a hydraulic cylinderand plunger operatmy hand.

ANDREW KLOMAN. Witnesses:

CHAS. H. KLOMAN, WILLIAM .G. BARR.

